Love Live! Prologue: A Single Key
by Vaenny
Summary: The story takes place before the creation of Aquors and during the beginnings of Muse. An downtrodden musician surrounded by a gray space meets a scarlet-haired girl playing the piano in the music room. This triggers a sequence of events that would eventually lead to both pursuing the live stage. A story of music, dreams, and love, it's the side of love live you never knew. On-hold
1. Prologue

**Prologue: Live Stage Trial**

All were in awe as they watched the brimming talent perform on a stage fit for a noble. The notes would not scatter around, but dance gracefully around the auditorium. Each key she played resonated with the audience. And she kept her composure throughout the whole performance. One could only expect great things from her, no doubt. But I could hear from her playing that this was not what she was meant to be. As grand as the stage might be, a sparrow cannot roam around all her life.

And that's what I saw within the scarlet-haired pianist.

A few days after her performance, I was left in a slump. Since listening to her performance, I could no longer play the piano as gracefully as before. My hands would always shiver, bearing the thought that I would never be as good as the girl on that stage. So much so that it had affected my attention span in class.

"Yazawa-san!" the teacher scolded as he hit my desk with his textbook.

"Y-yes!"

With a disgusted face, he asked, "Since you look like you've been paying attention, how about you continue the rest of the paragraph."

I could hear my classmates laughing ever so quietly. But I guess it was my fault for losing focus. I grabbed my textbook, but had no idea where the story left off. The teacher took notice and gave me a head start by giving out the first two characters.

"Beneath the…"

"Beneath the earth where all is black as night, the drenching rain seeps down, and frost descends to chill…"

We were reading the Three-cornered world by Natsume Soseki. The amount of detail he places on his works almost made it feel like I was reading a painting. In fact, it was quite similar with how I saw images in music.

As I completed the task, the teacher asked me to take a seat and continued his lecture.

"From this line, we can see how…"

At that point, I once again spaced out. I couldn't focus on the lecture especially when my self-esteem was at an all-time-low. And I pondered over this until the end of class.

Most students would hang out with their friends and chat during break time. But I was too anxious to speak to anyone. What if they laughed at me? What if they ridiculed me? These were my thoughts every time I tried to socialize. And when I entered middle school, those thoughts remained.

So I instead went to the music room, where I knew I would be alone. And because the music room was always open, I spent most of my time there. But today's visit was different. Instead of a quiet sanctuary, I heard from not far away, a piano key. It threw me off guard, but it also piqued my interest. I slowly approached the half-opened door and took a peek inside. And there she was. She played the piano ever so gracefully, as if it she owned the piece. There was so much potential in her playing, and one could only fathom how far her musical talent would go.

As the sakura blossom which bloomed in spring colored the entire room pink, I saw nothing else but her scarlet hair. And from a dark, gray space, I awoke into a brighter world...


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Investigation?!**

\- The next day -

"Have you heard?"

"Heard what?"

"Our school is participating in the festival again!"

"Wow, really?!"

The girls chatting in front of the room couldn't stop talking about this event that gain so much popularity as of late. It's not that I hate small conversations, but this particular one tried my patience. The students soon saw my facial reaction and decided to talk somewhere else.

"What a creep..." they said as they moved to the desk nearest to the door. They continued chatting.

"I heard that Shousuke confessed to that cute girl from the other class."

"No way! Really?!"

"He was rejected though."

"Oh, that must've been embarrassing!"

This is why I avoid chatty places. Most people hate to sit in front of the class, but for me, it was something I was already used to. Not only could I focus on the lectures, but I could also avoid looking at other students. It would just be me and the board. And as I was spacing out, someone blocked my view of the board.

"Hey!"

"What?"

"Well, aren't you cranky today."

Here she was again, the most annoying student in class: Ichinose Marika. Normally, any boy would be glad that someone of the opposite gender would approach him. But Marika was a special case. While she looks attractive with her ponytail styled in a drill, her personality is something no human could catch up with.

"So I found something interesting today."

"What?"

"Apparently, people have been hearing music coming from the music room after clubs."

"And so?"

"Let's investigate!"

There she goes, finding a hobby faster than any Tchaikovsky piece. I swear, this girl will find any hobby she thinks is interesting and take it seriously... until she finds another hobby and temporarily takes interest in that.

"So you wanna solve cases now?"

"What did I just say?!"

The thing with Marika is that she's so passionate with whatever hobby she learns that it's very easy to turn her down. Very few people have taken her seriously ever since the first day. And because of her constant change in hobbies, no one bothers to stick around with her. Well, no one but me.

"We're in middle school now. Don't you think ghost stories are just a thing of the past?"

"Come on! It'll be fun!" she replied, "It will be like a stakeout. We'd be like Conan solving a mystery. We'd find what caused the sounds and put the culprit behind bars!"

 _Ah, now I see why she's suddenly into mysteries..._

"So, are you in or out?" she asked.

Coincidentally, I was looking for a reason to go home late. The choir club only had 30 minutes of practice every Monday, so I couldn't use that as an excuse. Maybe I could tell my piano instructor that I was practicing in the music room. It wouldn't be a lie, since I'd technically be in the music room as we stake out where the strange music was coming from.

"Sure."

"Yes! I knew I could count on you!"

Who else would she count on? Everyone ignores her anyway. Besides, I might get to see the velvet-haired girl again.

And so after club, Marika and I went inside the music room (and as always, it wasn't locked) and hid behind one of the desks.

"And now, we wait..." she said.

"...Are you sure this will work?"

"Have I ever let you down before?"

 _Multiple times, actually._

And so we waited... and waited... and waited... until the sun had begun to set. At that point, I began to doubt that anyone would come in so late. And as we were waiting, Marika tugged on my coat and said:

"I-I need to go to the bathroom..."

"S-seriously?!"

"I was so excited with the stake out that I've been holding it all day!"

"Think of your health first, why don't ya!"

And so she ran out of the room and left to go comfort herself, but not before saying:

"Tell me if the culprit comes in!"

"How would I do that?!"

Before I could receive a reply, however, she had already turned to the other hallway. So I was stuck hiding behind the desk, waiting for the red-haired girl to appear, if I was even lucky enough to see her enter the room. To pass the time, I played a song on my head and moved my fingers to the position of the keys. Again, it was the song I heard yesterday. It sounded so joyful and light, the complete opposite of what my piano instructor made me play.

 _*tap tap tap*_

I was so engulfed with the song that I forgot that I was alone in the music room, playing an air piano, acting like a buffoon. And just when I was about to play the chorus, the door suddenly opened. And so I stopped playing and minimized movement. I could hear footsteps. It was coming from the direction of the piano. Then the stepping stopped. The chair made a squeaking sound. The cover of the piano as lifted. And at once, music started playing.

It was a piece from Mozart. So gracefully did the person play every note. Her rests were on point, and it didn't feel out of place. Every note meshed in harmony, creating this beautiful yet melancholic sound. And from that playing, I knew: it as her.

I turned my head quietly to see if the person playing really was the girl from before. Then-

*bam!*

I hit my head. The piano stopped. And when I turned to check, there she was, looking at me with a surprised face.

"Y-you're-"

"Wait! It's not what you think!-"

And again, she ran away. I figured she would leave again, so I blocked her way and asked:

"I-I love your playing!"

"M-my playing?"

I was in an awkward position, spreading my arms, preventing this obviously scared girl from leaving the room while commenting on her piano piece.

"T-that was Mozart, wasn't it?"

"Y-yes, number 11."

"I-I see..."

The awkward atmosphere got even worse. Thankfully, Marika entered the room and broke the atmosphere.

"What did I miss?!"

Then both me and the red-haired girl looked at her, relieved.

"Huh? Did I miss something?"

We decided to leave school together, all 3 of us, mainly because the security guard heard us making a fuss and demanded that we go home already.

"Case closed!" Marika concluded.

"It was hardly even a case."

"All in a day's work by detective Marika!"

"What did I just say?"

Then I turned to the red-haired girl and apologized (mostly on Marika's behalf)

"Sorry you got dragged into this."

"N-no, it's completely fine."

She looked so prim and proper that it as hard to see her not garnering the attention of the whole school. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if she turned out to be from a rich family.

When we reached the gate, the three of us went our separate ways.

"See you tomorrow!" Marika said. We waved back.

Before I walked the other way, I asked the girl:

"What's your name?"

Then, realizing how improper it might have been to ask someone's name before stating my own, I retracted.

"O-oh, I'm Kou. Yazawa Kou."

"Riko. Sakurauchi Riko."

We both smiled and said, "It's nice to meet you."

And as the sun completely set, so too did my mood. When I entered the house, my grandfather stood in front of the entrance. Almost immediately, I knew what was about to come.

"Why were you late? The instructor already went home, you know?"

"I was practicing in the music room."

"Hmph, you expect me to believe that?"

"I don't expect you to."

"Is that how you talk to your grandfather?!"

"N-no..."

Then he pointed to the inside of the house and told me to practice until dinner was ready. And so I did. I practiced, but I didn't play. It was just me hitting the keys, not making music. It was the song I've heard over and over but always forget. It was a different sensation from when I was in the school's music room. Here, it's gray, and bleak. This was no music room...

* * *

Hey! Yes, I'm back with another fanfic! This time, it's for Love live. For all of you who came from TLR Alternate, expect a more romantic and dramatic atmosphere. Writing a full-blown romance with musical elements (in addition to idol themes) is more or less a difficult feat, but I'll give it a shot anyway!

As always, I upload one chapter monthly until God knows how long. Let's just hope it doesn't take longer than 60 chapters again. That's it for today!


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Call**

Days kept passing, one by one. From the time I awake to the time I close my eyes, the days would keep least, that's what I initially thought before the faux case file with Marika. Since then, my school life had more meaning. Gone were the days when I would simply wait for the bell to ring and, in melancholy, eat alone on my desk. Now, Marika would pull me out of my desk and we both move to the other classroom, where Riko was. To us, Marika was the instigator for whatever crazy ideas she wanted us to do.

Oftentimes, we would get weird looks from the students, wondering why we were hanging out with a girl like Riko. To them, she was a plain girl with a plain personality. They knew that she was good at playing the piano and assumed that it was the only thing she was interested in. Marika and I, however, think otherwise.

"So I heard another rumor..." said Marika, always the one beginning the conversation.

"Is it about another strange sound?"

"No, it's much scarier." she added.

"How so?"

"It's about a howling dog behind the gym."

When Riko heard this, she shriveled a bit. We had no idea why, but it was painfully obvious that she was scared of something Marika said.

Riko, however, pretended that we didn't notice, "R-really?"

Marika encouraged us even more, "Yeah! Doesn't that sound like the perfect mystery to solve?"

"Y-yeah..." Riko replied in a faint voice.

It was a miracle that Marika still hadn't noticed. But given that she only took interest in detective work a few days ago, it wasn't all that surprising.

"So, when does your investigation begin?"

"Right now!" Marika replied.

"But it's almost time for third period!"

"We'll be back before the bell rings!" she said.

"I don't know about this..."

Then she grabbed my arm again, "Come on, Yazawa! Sakurauchi-chan's coming too!"

"N-no, I-"

Without hesitation, she grab Riko's arms and dragged us to the back of the gym. Luckily, no one saw us go to the back, else weird rumors would go around school.

"A-are you sure it's in here?" Riko asked.

"There's no denying it!" Marika replied.

And so we split up and looked around, from the trash furnace to the small cabin. But nothing. Behind, under, nothing.

"There's nothing here."

"B-but there's gotta be something here!" Marika commented, "We must be missing something..."

At this point, Marika would get bored of her new hobby, but not finishing what she started irritated her more. But when she does accomplish something, she'd act like nothing ever happened. Man, I really don't understand how her mind works...

While were discussing, all of a sudden, we heard a scream from behind the cabin.

"KYAAAA!"

Marika and I rushed to the back and saw... Riko fall to the ground, moving her hands back and forth, as if telling someone to get lost.

"W-what's going on!"

"Awooooo!"

And at the opposite side, meters away from where she sat, was a dog tied to a tree. How come we didn't see that dog before? I guess we didn't see it because behind the cabin was a small forest and it hid under the bushes. But why did it show up only now?

"Grrrr..." the dog looked quite relentless, as if it held a grudge on Riko or something.

"G-get away!" Riko screamed.

"So it was a dog all along?"

"That's a really big dog." Marika commented.

"H-help me!" Riko continued to scream.

Being the gentleman that I was, I helped Riko get back on her feet. Marika, on the other hand, put all her focus on taming the dog. She leaned closer and closer to the seemingly aggressive dog and pet it. Turns out, the dog was quite a charmer. It had its tongue out the whole time it was being pet.

"Good dog! Good dog!"

"Awooo!"

The dog took quite a liking to her. However, I couldn't say the same for Riko. She was still shivering, and I could feel it from her wrists.

"Well... Isn't this a treat?"

After that, the bell for third period rang. We ran as fast as we could back to our classrooms and made it in the nick of time. And once again, the cogs of my mundane life functioned once more, bringing an end to my temporary happiness.

School was over for the day, and I went straight home. Riko had club meetings and Marika... well, she rushed off after the last period. And I knew that if I returned home, there would be nothing but practices waiting for me. And so as I opened the door to our house, I immediately saw my grandpa standing in front of the entrance.

"I'm back."

"Hmm... you came in early today." he said.

"No club today."

"I see..."

There was a moment of silence between us. eventually, my grandpa broke the ice by saying: "Your tutor couldn't make it today. She said she had to tend to some personal affairs."

"R-really?"

The moment he said that, I became overjoyed inside. Outside, I still had a plain expression. Then, once again, there was a moment of silence. We could never keep a conversation going. That was one of our weaknesses. Thankfully, my grandma broke the atmosphere by saying that the bath was ready. Grandpa then took his leave and walked to the bathroom. Afterwards, I went straight to my room.

I opened the door to my room and dropped my bag on the floor, then walked slowly to my bed until I laid down.

"Uhhhhh..."

It was an exhausting day. To think Marika made us work for something pointless... Oh well, at least we had fun. Can't say the same for Riko though.

"RIIIIING!"

My phone suddenly rang. I took out my phone and got a call from... a certain person. Answering the call, I was met with:

"What took so long?!" she exclaimed.

"What do you mean?"

"It took you so long to answer your phone! Is that how you treat your favorite cousin?"

There she goes, bragging to no end.

"So what's so important that you had to call?"

"Are you watching the TV right now?" she asked.

"No, why?"

"You idiot!" she exclaimed once more, "It's the preliminary rounds of Love Live!"

A little known fact about my cousin: she's obsessed with love live. She talks about it all the time and how she'll be the cutest idol in the future. While she is cute, her personality totally ruins her image.

"You know we can't watch idol shows at home."

"Oh, because of gramps? Then just watch it on the internet!"

"Also, you know I'm not interested in idols, right?"

She froze a bit before replying, "So anyway, about the performances-"

"Didn't I just tell you?!"

"Come on!" she said, "Didn't you always say you wanted to be a music producer?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Then idols are the way to go!" she said.

"I'm hanging up now."

"No wait-"

click!

That was the end of that. She was already in high school yet she's still interested in childish stuff like idols and love live. Don't high school students have to focus on their exams of something? But I can't bash on her passion, especially since she seems so dedicated in it. Heck, she even has a catchphrase already. Nico Nico... something. So whatever she wants to do, despite their financial troubles, I need to support. Because I know my grandpa would never do the same for me...

* * *

Hey guys! So we get a bit more fun scenes from our trio, and even a sneak peek of a love live character we're all too familiar with. But we still don't know why Kou is acting the way he is and what the deal is with his grandpa. It's gonna get deeper and deeper as the chapters keep rolling, so tune in for the next chapter next week. Thanks!


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Comfort**

There's nothing more annoying than someone constantly talking about the same damn thing during a conversation. Such is the case with my cousin. She constantly talks about idols (and how cute she says she is) and leaves out anything that doesn't interest her. In a way, she kind of reminds me of Marika, but on another scale. Speaking of Marika...

"Wan wan!"

"Don't tell me..."

"Wan!"

She got herself a new hobby again: animals. Ever since the dog incident at the back of the school, she's been wanting to take care of the dog. Apparently, that dog was the janitor's, to keep away small critters and such. Even in a large city, they still resort to orthodox means. And now she's playing with the dog like she owns it. Him? Her? I don't know.

"Isn't she adorable?" she said as she pet the dog.

Well, that answers that question.

"Are you sure you should be playing with it- I mean, her?"

"It's okay! The janitor said she's trained." she responded.

"That's not the point..."

"Speaking of which..." she asked, "Where's Riko?"

She still hasn't figured it out. Might as well explain it to her.

"She's Cynophobic."

Then she looked at me with a strange face and said, "...Is that an animal?"

"No! It means she's afraid of dogs!"

"Oh, really?"

I mean, the dog almost bit her, so any normal person would be scared. But judging from her expression, I could tell she was traumatized.

"I know!" Marika then exclaimed, "Let's have her play with Charanko!"

"Who?"

Then both Marika and the dog wore a sad face, "you forgot her name already?"

"You never even told me her name!"

Alas, the morning bell rang. And so we left the dog behind the gym and went straight to the classroom for homeroom. Then first period, then second, and so on and so forth. Time flies when all you have as motivation is meeting your friends after class. We had club practice today, so I went to the club room and participated. We worked on a song that we were gonna perform in a competition, and it was then that every girl talked about how they wanted to join love live when they get to high school. Hearing them made me grit my teeth every time.

Once practices were over, I went straight to the music room, where the piano was, thinking that Riko would be playing again. And she was. She hard me come in, but unlike our last meeting, she didn't flinch. Guess she was used to me barging in on her. Or so I thought. As she played her sweet melody, I accidentally hit one of the desks and surprised her. She stopped playing and turned to me.

"S-sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"N-no, it's fine." she said.

"Okay. Don't mind me. Just keep playing."

Then she turned back to the keys. But... as she positioned her fingers, she froze. She didn't press any key.

"...You're not gonna play?"

She paused for a second and turned to me again, "I think that's enough for today."

"Really?"

Then she left the chair and grabbed her bag. She bowed her head to me and rushed outside.

"What was that about?"

I figured she was shy, but despite hanging out with her for some time, she still wasn't used to us. And it's quite ironic since she often performs at a crowd. But I guess we all have secrets we don't want other people to know.

Since she already left the room, there was no point in staying there longer. So I left the campus all alone. I thought of stopping by a convenience store to pass the time (and avoid my piano lessons) when my phone rang just as I had exited the school gate. It was playing Beethoven's "Tempest". I should really change my ringtone soon. I answered the phone, expecting my grandfather. To my surprise, it was my cousin.

"What is it?"

"Oh! Did I call? Sorry, Kotaro mush have pressed something."

I could tell that she was lying. But I went with it anyway.

"So what now?"

"Hey! How about you come over?" she asked.

"What's this, all of a sudden?"

"Come on! Don't you wanna see my nico nico smile in the flesh?"

It's hard to believe the two of us were related. She's always so happy-go-lucky despite being poor. But I can't blame her. She's got siblings who look up to her, and I'd hate to break their illusion of her. I mean ever since "that day", she's never stopped talking about idols. Which reminds me...

"Wait, isn't next week your dad's-"

"Oh! Sorry! Gotta go!"

Aaand, she hung up. Seriously, she was the one who called. She could've at least told me what was wrong. Anyway, I continued off to the convenience store when I happened to spot a small girl with pinkish hair holding a coloring book. She just sat outside of the entrance, drawing something from her sketchbook. I ignored her and proceeded on to the convenience store.

The door opened, the jingle played, and the staff welcomed me in. I went straight to the magazine shelves and checked out the recent jump. Most magazines had Love Live as their cover, so I didn't bother reading those. With so much focus on idols, there were hardly any place for more dynamic music. I always heard the same song on the radio, most of them feel half-hearted to listen to. Even the song playing in the convenience store was from an idol group. I swear, I think the whole city- no, the whole country is obsessed with them.

It was getting dark, so I decided to go home for the day. When I got there, wouldn't you know it, the piano instructor wasn't there. Taking her place was my grandfather. You pretty much know what happened next...

* * *

Hey guys! Short chapter, I know. Been busy with Uni stuff, and I couldn't get the time to write this chapter even though I wanted to. Anyway, it's here, and the buildup is strong for next chapter. What exactly happened to Nico on "that day"? If you read school idol diaries, you'll know. But if you haven't you're in for a surprise. I'll try to make this story as close to the canon as possible and not go overboard. So I hope you keep reading till the end. See you next chapter!


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Comfort**

It was finally the weekend. While most people my age would go hang out with friends during these days, I was...

"Hey! Play with me!"

"Look here! Look here!"

"Hey, nii-san, nii-san!"

...babysitting my cousins. As adorable as they were, their hyperactive personalities were too much to handle. Cocoro and Cocoa (especially Cocoa) were pulling my sleeves, while Cotaro kept hitting my head with his toy hammer. Where was Nico in all this? she was preparing lunch for us. Despite her demeanor, she's actually a really good cook. I guess you learn to adapt in order to survive, especially since their family's experiencing financial crisis. All I could do was bring the ingredients for her, but at least I lent a helping hand.

"Hey, is it ready yet?"

"Don't rush m- I mean- Almost, Nico!"

Well, she's still keeping the Nico trend. I wonder when she'll stop doing it. But then again, I didn't mind, given her circumstances.

"Mmm... it smells good!"

"I smell fried rice!"

"Me too!"

Then they all ran towards Nico, giving me time to rest a bit.

"Sis, how much longer?"

"Yeah! I'm hungry!"

"Me too! Me too!"

While pulling her apron, the kids meddled with her cooking. "Don't stay too close! You might get hurt! Go play with Kou for now."

"Eh? But he's boring!"

Well, excuse me for being boring. It's not my fault I was raised by a strict grandfather. Nico's much more suited for babysitting. Then again, I can't cook, so...

"How 'bout we play hide and seek?" I suggested.

"But the house is too small!" Cocoa said, "There's no place to hide!"

"We won't know unless we try, right?"

And so we played one round and... she was right. There were hardly any good hiding spots other than the closet and under the table. It was the fastest hide-and-seek we've ever played. Fortunately, when we finished the round, the food was ready. So we all gathered together around the dining table (kinda small, but we all fit) and began eating lunch.

"Thank you for the food!" the kids said in unison.

Then they chowed down the fried rice like they haven't eaten in a week. Cocoa kept playing with her food while Cotaro, with his dripping snot stuck on his nose, got some on his bowl. I told Cocoa to stop playing with her chopsticks while Nico grabbed a tissue and wiped Cotaro's face. Cocoro was more behave compared to the other two, but she wouldn't stop clinging to Nico. It was a chaotic scene, but a heartwarming one. I didn't experience that kind of scenes back home. It was always quiet, and I always finished the food as quickly as possible so I could go back to my room and rest. It was weekends with my cousins that gave a little bit of color in my life. And recently, Riko and Marika showed me a little bit of that as well.

"What's wrong?" Nico asked after noticing how I've been staring into space for a while.

"O-oh, it's nothing."

"Hmm?" she grinned, "Could it be that you realized how super cute Nico is?"

"You're asking that again?"

"Sis is super cute!" Cocoro said.

"Yeah! She's a big idol!" Cocoa added.

Then I looked back at Nico and asked, with a disappointed expression, "...What did you tell them?"

"N-nothing!" Nico replied, "I-it'll come true eventually, right? Hehe... Nico!"

I understood how passionate she was on wanting to be an idol, but lying to her younger siblings was a bit too much. But again, given the circumstances, I couldn't blame her.

After lunch, we cleaned up a bit before heading out. We don't usually go out unless it was a special day. And this day in particular was a special day for the Yazawa family.

"What about our mom?"

"She said she'll catch up after work." Nico answered.

"I see."

It was a long way to our destination, but Nico and I managed to keep the kids in check. We had Cocoro hold the flowers since she was more behaved then the two. I couldn't imagine how it would feel like to have lost someone essential for their upbringing, at a very young age too, no less. And despite knowing where were headed, Nico and the kids still kept a smile.

The bus stopped on the shed. We got off. Nico and I grabbed the kids' hands. We were here again.

"How long has it been since then?"

Nico didn't respond. She walked to the usual spot with the kids, still smiling. And there he was.

"We're back." Nico said to the name engraved to a stone.

The kids lit up incense and placed it near the grave. Nico placed the flowers right beside it. Then altogether, we knelt down and prayed. After a while, we stood up and Nico gave a few words.

"I'm doing exactly what you told me. I'm smiling and bringing smiles to everyone's hearts. Although no one listens to my childish dream, I'll still keep smiling..."

Her voice faded for a while and I couldn't tell what she was saying. But then she raised her head and said:

"...I fixed our catchphrase! Wanna hear?" she said.

I wanted to stop her from what she was about to do, but given the circumstances, I let her do it. I heard "Nico" about 6 times, even more than her dad's. I almost shed a tear after how much she reminded me of him. But it wasn't of sadness, he wouldn't like that. He would always keep smiling, and that's why even if her annoying "Nico nico ni" gets on my nerves, I know it's because he loves her dad a lot.

"Wow, that was so cool, sis!"

"Yeah! so cool!"

"Sis is a really cool idol!"

And just like that, we're back to the proud Nico, "I know, right?! Nico!"

We gave one final smile before turning around to leave. As we did, we saw my aunt (or I guess in this case, Nico's mother) carrying flowers as well. We talked for a bit before going back to the grave. But because it was almost sundown, I had to go back home.

"You're not staying?" Nico asked.

"You know how my grandpa is. Also, our house isn't too far from here."

"Are you sure?" my aunt asked.

I couldn't respond. But since she knew how strict grandfather was, she let me go. So I bid them farewell and surprisingly, the kids did the same.

"See you later!"

"Bye bye!"

"Bye, nii-san!"

Naturally, I smiled back. Then Nico waved back as well and said:

"See ya, Nico!"

I turned around and ignored her.

"Wha- don't ignore me!"

The kids laughed, and eventually, so did she. And while I had my head turned the other way, I also couldn't stop smiling. Guess I've been affected by her smile...

* * *

Hey guys! It's been months since I wrote a chapter here, but I'm back! This chapter's obviously dedicated to Nico and how a lot of people (especially on the internet) get the wrong perception about her. As it stands, she's still the most interesting character out of all of the muse members in terms of background. Next chapter's gonna be on Riko again, so look forward to that!


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